claws
by bellmare
Summary: it was all about the hostility that bubbled beneath the veneer of civility they maintained. —Axel/Larxene.
1. intensity

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Kingdom Hearts, or any of its characters.**

**- - x x x x x - -**

If he were to describe her, he could conclude she was best summed up as oddly _primal_, yet innately poised, and dangerously so; if anything, seeing her stretched out upon 'her' couch at the Grey Area in languid repose evoked the powerful mental image of an indolent feline, all sly, cunning charm and supple grace. Despite the looseness of her limbs as she lounged upon her chosen seat, he knew all-too-well the speed at which she could leap into explosive, dynamic action, slender frame belying the lithe, sinewy strength which could be unleashed in the blink of an eye.

After all, she had been graced with the fitting appellation of the _Savage Nymph_, and, as he could readily testify, she lived up to her title with great aplomb.

This feline edge even extended to her interactions with the other Organisation members, as well as the dynamics of their _own _relationship, if it could even be called that. Despite her honeyed words, there was no mistaking the distinctive sneer of derision she masked within her light-hearted banter when addressing Vexen, or the conniving, suggestive purr she used whenever she spoke to himself or Marluxia. What discomfited Axel the most, though, was the fact that Larxene tended to act her friendliest towards him; her behaviour was simply at odds with the entire concept of being a Nobody, and this only brought more questions to his mind, though he suspected that if he ever voiced any of them, she would only smirk and coyly refuse to answer.

On the most part, he reflected sardonically, their relationship itself could be seen as distinctly cat-like. To an observer, they seemed like a pair of sharp-witted, sleek felines, achingly cordial to one another, despite the raw, almost _feral_ animosity which bubbled vaguely beneath the surface, never quite rising to break the fine veneer of their emotionless state. Theirs was a relationship which apparently existed on the fragile plane of silkily-purred compliments and near-overbearing physical proximity, and the judiciously discreet testing of one another's mettle with carefully-sheathed claws, even as they grinned across at one another until it felt as though their faces would split into two.

If anything, this was even more obvious when one sat in on their sparring sessions. Demyx had been completely and utterly terrified by what he saw, and even Xigbar had expressed his surprise at their efficiency as a pair, in the form of an appreciative whistle and gruff, hearty laugh.

When he fought her, Axel's suspicions were reinforced: not only was she savage in name, but in action, as she leapt across at him with all the ferocity of a famished wildcat, knives clenched between her knuckles in an ironic reflection of claws. Even as she swung at him, tendrils of electricity sparking a warning as the points of her knives arced towards his face, he could not stop himself from making such a wry observation, and if it weren't for Demyx's warning shout, doubtless he would have ended up withdrawing early from the duel and retreating to his quarters to lick his metaphorical wounds. Even after that little near-fiasco, though, Axel found himself admiring the speed and lissom agility with which Larxene moved, as she held her body close to the ground, bridging the gap between them with surprising swiftness. The remainder of the spar passed quickly, in a fast and furious whirl of yellow and blue, red and silver, the arena periodically being lit up by burst of flame and flare of lightning alike.

By the time they were done, Demyx had fled, and Xigbar was hiding a smirk as he clapped spasmodically, before leaving the two of them to stare at one another in silence as he, too, made his leave. The smell of faintly-singed leather wafted through the air, and rising to his feet, Axel crossed over to where his opponent still sat gathering her breath. At first she only glared resentfully at the hand he proffered, before proceeding to drag him down, a glint of amusement in her eyes.

They sat in silence for several seconds, before he decided to break the silence. "Good match," he offered, casting her a lopsided grin.

She shrugged, stifling a short, humourless chuckle at his words. "No need to act nice to me," she spat from between gritted teeth, surveying him with suspicion; however, the faint smile playing along her lips betrayed the implied ferocity in her words, and he mirrored her expression, green eyes narrowing with restrained amusement.

"Well, well, Sparky," he drawled, running a black-gloved hand through flame-red spiked hair, "no offence or nothing, but I didn't think you would have it in you. As Xigbar says, the Organisation takes only the best of the best of Nobodies, the cream of the crop, and…" His voice dwindled, and silence hung between them, heavy and leaden.

Her smirk froze, and her eyes hardened; with a sharp crackle of static, summoned her weapons; four small, tapering knives jutted from between her fingers, aimed at his throat. "I dare you to repeat that." The Savage Nymph's voice lowered into a dangerous hiss, full of a ferocious challenge, conveying, in a simple, sibilant exhalation, the full extent of her anger; Axel smiled despite himself.

He held up his hands in a placating gesture, making no move to rise or defend himself. "Calm down now, Wildcat. You've sure got some moves in your repertoire. _Impressive _ones, I might add."

"You sound surprised," she shot back, dismissing her weapons; he snorted in response, and for several moments, they sat in a semi-companionable silence.

"So, how long's it been since you came here? Finding life in the Organisation _interesting_ and up to your _standards_?" He recalled her vibrant vitality in her past life, her flighty and curious nature which made her both endearing and frustrating to be around. All that, perhaps, was gone now, replaced by only a semblance of the emotions she once felt.

Larxene shrugged, averting her eyes. "A few weeks, give or take. It's still _boring_," she complained, rolling her eyes theatrically as she spoke; he had to suppress a grin. Since her initiation into the ranks of Organisation XIII, he had not heard that familiar, faintly childish voice until now; it was a welcome memory, one that brought a faint smile to Axel's face. "I _wish_ more interesting things would happen, and we had more to _do_ than just go out on _half-baked_ missions and listening to Xemnas _serenade_ his _nonexistent_ Kingdom Hearts." A curious expression, like some hybrid between a scowl and a pout, flickered across her lips. "Is this _really_ what being a _Nobody_ is like?"

"Hey, hey, don't let Xemnas hear you talking like that," he warned her in a low voice, marvelling at her still-intact ability to over-emphasise every second word in her sentences with all the petulance of a sulky child.

She merely hissed disdainfully from between her teeth in response, before rising to her feet, expression defiant; Axel recognised a rejection when he saw one. "You're _all_ boring," she declared. "_Someone _needs to stir the peace around here more often. _Someone _needs to find out why we're doing these pointless things, because I sure as hell don't see _any_ Kingdom Hearts in the sky."

He watched as Larxene summoned up a Dark Portal, vanishing from the arena and leaving him by his lonesome; pulling himself upright as well, he regarded the spot at which she had vanished, frowning slightly.

It was so typical of her to poke her nose where it was not wanted at all, and infuriate the higher-ups – not that she did not do enough of the latter, what with her taking great pleasure in antagonising Vexen. One of these days, Axel thought ruefully, as he summoned a portal of his own, she'll find out why they had that old adage: curiosity killed the cat.

**- - x x x x x - -**

**epilogue. **_Yes, I'm currently playing 358/2 days for the…fourth time. Revelling in the dialogue, as always, as well as the interactions between the members of the Organisation. This fic idea had been nestling in my mind (and hard drive) for quite a while now, and what with the fact that Larxel is probably my KH OTP, here's, well, this. Enjoy, people, and thanks for reading! _


	2. incandescence

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Kingdom Hearts, or any of its characters.**

**- - x x x x x - -**

In this life as well as the past, she always imagined him to be like a tomcat: proud, cocky, and immeasurably self-assured, as though he was untouchable and the entire world could not harm him. Even though he exuded that quintessential air of being indolent and seemingly carefree, she knew from experience the sense of danger he veiled beneath suavely-delivered sweet nothings, and the mercurial intensity of his moods, which could turn at the blink of an eye.

One moment, he could be lounging luxuriously on his back, stubbornly insisting on sleeping like a log at every hour imaginable, or else toying lazily with the other members in a manner similar to how a contented cat toyed with a catnip-stuffed plaything, with carefully-sheathed claws that occasionally jabbed a little too deep when he was having a little too much fun. However, the change from placid satisfaction to a whirl of claws and teeth – or, more accurately, a whirl of silvered spikes as he summoned his weapons and hurled them at the closest offender – was striking and sudden, and especially frightening to the uninitiated.

Despite what most described as his off-putting arrogance and nonchalantly lackadaisical manner, there was definitely something about him which captivated her and enthralled her; whilst he, like the rest of their number, lacked a heart, she found herself unable to find him 'boring'. However, Larxene reflected wryly, this was a far cry from her first few days within the walls of the Castle That Never Was, when she had been convinced she had drawn the shortest of short straws by becoming a Nobody. Essentially, everything she had cherished from her existence had been ripped away from her, and she had been appalled to find that now, she was nothing but a shell of a human being, an incomplete remnant of all that ever was; even that itself was not genuinely felt, and as the seconds slipped by, she found herself unable to truly remember what being appalled was actually like.

She remembered her first day in the Organisation as clearly as it was yesterday; she had strode to the middle of the eerily silent meeting chamber, throwing her hood back as she walked, with her head held high as she forced herself to meet the eleven pairs of eyes which regarded her with varying degrees of disinterest, disdain, curiosity, surprise or amusement. Aerlen had always abhorred feeling small and insignificant, and here, having eleven strangers stare down their noses at her from their absurdly high chairs was the most discomfiting experience she had ever felt. As she desperately searched the expressionless faces for something – _anything _– bordering on approval, she found her eyes drawn to a brooding, red-haired figure on one of the thronelike chairs to her left. Recognition hit her like a bolt of lightning; even if he had matured on the outside, there was no way she would not recognise that Cheshire Cat-like smirk playing across his lips, or the hint of a challenge in his green eyes.

She almost said his name out loud, until she remembered: both of their past lives were gone now, along with the memories associated with them. She had no idea what his present name was, but at the same time, Aerlen was dead and gone, and in her place, Larxene had arisen, ready to take on the world – and win.

If only such was the case when she finally got the chance to speak to him.

She cornered him in the Grey Area, finding him staring out of the plate-glass windows into the misted emptiness beyond the castle. "Le—" she began, only to be cut off.

"Larxene," he interrupted, voice neutral and near-expressionless. "Welcome to the Organisation. The name's Axel…got it memorised?"

Her words stuck in her throat, and she glared at the back of his head, a low hiss of frustration escaping from her clenched teeth. He finally turned to face her, and she realised how much he had changed since the last time they had seen one another. The loud, extroverted boy she remembered was gone, and in his place, the tall man with the sly, secretive smile regarded her over his crossed arms, chuckling shortly as he looked her up and down. "Well, well, kitten, haven't _you_ grown into your boots."

Larxene flushed slightly at his words. "So you _do_ remember."

"Memories. After all, it's all us Nobodies have left. There is nothing in the present or the future for us, so we have to take refuge somewhere, right? For us, it's gotta be the past."

Despite the familiar accented drawl, the hollowness of his words pierced her. Instead, she sought to steer the conversation elsewhere, mirroring his posture, and ignoring the telltale _swish_ of leather and _clink_ of silver as she shifted. "How do I look in this new uniform?"

For several seconds, he merely stared at her, eyebrows quirked; she felt ire pricking beneath her skin. "_So_," she snarled, unable to prevent herself from bristling; static crackled at the tips of her hair, sparks dancing around her fingertips. "You find me _unappealing_ and _unsatisfying_ to talk to, is that it? Oh, well then, _excuse _me for being a Nobody and not _quite_ up to your _standards_!"

For the first time, she had the pleasure of seeing his composure slip; Axel blinked back at her, confusion rising in his features. "I-what—"

"_Don't_ talk to me," she hissed, swiping sharply at him before he could move a muscle. "I _knew_ it. Men without hearts are so _boring._ I thought _you_ would have been the exception to the rule."

"No," he said soberly, recovering his composure, yet still looking bemused. "It's not that I find your appearance unappealing…it's just that I don't know – or don't remember – what to make of it. I'm, uh, sorry."

They regarded each other in silence, before Larxene flashed him the first of her twisted grins, baring her teeth in a mirthless sneer. "I have no idea what you're talking about. This castle is the most boring thing I have ever had the misfortune to encounter, and, apparently, so are you. Good bye."

Without a further word, she stalked off with all the dismissive haughtiness of a disdainful cat, leaving him staring after her with bafflement.

**- - x x x x x - -**

Now, as she stared across the void of white at the Keyblade master, Larxene let out a harsh, ragged laugh, like the mockingly hollow chortle of a hyena. "You're stronger than I thought."

He glared at her in response, raising his weapon slightly; she was pleased to note the fresh row of scarlet lines she had just raked across his skin, courtesy of a desperate manoeuvre as she twisted away from the teeth of his Keyblade. She merely chuckled louder at his gesture. "What could possibly be achieved by killing me, brat? Our plans have already been set in motion. There's no way that—"

Her eyes widened as her knees buckled; she dropped to all fours, gasping for breath. "What on earth…? Am I…no, I can't be…it's not happening! I forbid it from happening."

What Axel had said about Nobodies having only the past to take solace in…it was all true. Her memories were swirling through her mind now, overriding her jumbled thoughts. Instead of seeing the Keyblade bearer and his oddball companions, she only saw Radiant Garden, and the sun as it sank beneath the horizon; the walls of Castle Oblivion vanished, replaced by the familiar contours of the Grey Area.

**- - x x x x x - -**

"_D'you know why the evening sky's red?"_

"_No! And I don't want to know—"_

"_It's because light is made up of lotsa colours, kitten. And y'know what? Out of all of those colours, red is the one that travels the furthest."_

"_I _told _you—"_

"_It's kinda just like me, y'know? I wanna live on forever and be remembered for as long as anyone'll ever remember. I want my memory to travel the furthest, so that everyone'll know me. Say, Aerlen. Do you promise to remember me, no matter what?"_

_"Oh, ew, you're being sappy. What sort of dumb question is that?"_

"_Just answer me, will ya? I'm…curious."_

"_Fine, fine, of course I will. I'll remember you for as long as you want to be remembered. I'll remember all the stupid bits of trivia you told me, and all the trouble you landed us into with all your pratfalls—"_

"_Thanks, kitten. That's all I needed to hear."_

**- - x x x - -**

"_Ugh, why're you still in bed?"_

"_Why, is it illegal to sleep in every now and then?"_

"_We're being sent to exterminate some target. A giant Heartless in Agrabah. Xemnas's orders."_

"_Oh, ick. Sand-o-Rama. You came here just to tell me that? Thank you, ma'am, for the personal summons, but…screw this, I'm going back to sleep."_

"_Axel! Get your sorry ass out of bed before I kick you all the way to Agrabah and into that Heartless's face."_

"_Fine, fine! Geez, Sparky, no need to get your knickers in a knot—ow! What the hell was that for? Do you want to short-circuit my nervous system or something?"_

"_For being a jerk. Look, here's a little incentive. First one to land the finishing blow on the Heartless gets to pick which mission we go on next. According to Saïx, we're short-staffed, so yay for a ton of missions."_

"_Oh really? In that case…you're on."_

**- - x x x - -**

"_Ugh, stupid Heartless…"_

"_Are you all right? You look like you got walloped pretty badly back there."_

"…_Axel, why are we doing all this? Collecting – ow! – hearts. What could completing Kingdom Hearts possibly do for us?"_

"_Stop prodding it, you'll make it smart even more. And to answer your question…it's to get our hearts back, Sparky. It's as simple as that."_

"Why_, though? I don't get it. Having a heart is…"_

"_Is what?"_

"…_nothing. It's not important."_

"_There's something you're hiding, isn't there…?"_

"_Drop it, okay? It's nothing. Leave me alone, and go bang your head against the walls or something."_

**- - x x x x x - -**

"Why are you doing all this?" the boy called Sora demanded, taking a tentative step closer, incomprehension in his eyes. Larxene ignored him, attempting to pull herself back upright. "You're Nobodies! You don't have hearts, so why—"

"The goal of the Organisation is to collect hearts so that we can eventually be whole," she snapped, squeezing her eyes shut as she swayed slightly on the spot. "However, I think that's a whole load of _bullshit_." She raised her head to meet his eyes, an almost wistful expression flickering across her face. "Having a heart was painful," the woman murmured, as she stared down at her hands, seeing her form flicker before her very eyes. "Sometimes…I think some Nobodies…like me…are better off not regaining their hearts. My memories are all I have now, and even though they don't invoke in me as much of a response…it still hurts to remember some of them. To remember what could have been. Which is why…to block it all out, I must annihilate…you." The last word was spat at him with every trace of her venomous bitterness as she staggered towards the boy, four knives materialising between the fingers of her right hand.

The boy recoiled, shocked, weapon held ready; however, Larxene found herself unable to stand, much less move; despite her denial, the truth was staring her in the face, mocking her as her memories rushed through her mind. So this was how it was going to end. She was going to die. Here, now, felled by some adolescent _boy_.

"No. No. I…refuse to lose." Her head snapped up as she affixed him with a baleful glare, a feral growl mingling with her desperate murmur as she dropped her knives, the yellow and blue blades dissipating into nothingness as they hit the floor. The first, creeping sensations of dread began to spread across her body like wildfire, the numbness of nothingness, accompanied by a staggering sense of loss, slowly inching towards where her heart should have been. "I-I'm fading…?"

Her eyes flickered shut, as shadows began to peel away from her form, sloughing away like dead leaves. "No…this isn't the way I…I won't allow it! There's so much else I have to do…" Damn straight she did. She had to get even with Axel, and to make him pay for his betrayal; she had presumed there was no way she could possibly feel anything after he double-crossed her, but…to her surprise, she did.

Even though her eyes remained stubbornly closed, she could just about see Axel's face swimming along the edges of her vision. "Larxene…you should have escaped when you had the chance. This time, kitten, you bit off more than you could chew by attempting to overthrow Xemnas. They always said that…curiosity killed the cat."

In the end, it wasn't her that was having the last laugh. As her consciousness splintered, she forced a final, bitter sneer to her lips, glaring blindly skywards towards the room where Marluxia, Vexen, Axel and herself had had their various discussions and confrontations. "Shut up, you smug bastard."

**- - x x x x x - -**

**epilogue. **_This time written from Larxene's point of view. I admit, the tone was rather different, and with far more conversation, and just…far more everything in general. Not to mention, I ended up deviating far, far away from what was meant to be my 'theme' (well, this fic _is_ called 'Claws' for a reason…), but nonetheless, I quite liked how it turned out, even if I made up a good percentage of whatever went on. It's called creative licence and..I dunno. Wishful thinking? Since I'm such a shameless Larxel shipper, there will undoubtedly be more of this to come from me, haha. A hell of a lot more._

_Inspired heavily by what I read from the Wikia regarding the KH novels (oh goodness, do want, if only they were in English *u*), and…sort of by BBS. Sure, we don't know where Larxene's Somebody was from, or what her name was, but for the sake of argument (and my happy little shippy mind), we'll just assume she was called Aerlen and was also from the Radiant Garden, like a good two-thirds-ish of the Org. members. Case closed, end of story. Also, whilst I used to think her former name was Arlene, going with the general unusualness of the other Somebody names (as well as Luc Court's fic, 'A Sorrow Of Magpies' – highly recommended, chop-chop, go read if you haven't already), I came to the conclusion that Aerlen was somewhat more fitting. As for the subject of meaningful anagrams, and how the letters of her name could be rearranged to form that of some thunder demon…uh, well, I don't quite subscribe to that. Aaanyways, we'll cut this obnoxiously long author's notes section short, and leave it at that. Many thanks for reading! _


End file.
